In 2009 Eloisa James took a leap that many people dream about: She sold her house, took a sabbatical from her job, and moved her family to Paris. Paris in Love: A Memoir chronicles her joyful year in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. With no classes to teach, no committee meetings to attend, no lawn to mow, Eloisa revels in the ordinary pleasures of life - discovering corner museums that tourists overlook, chronicling Frenchwomen’s sartorial triumphs, walking from one end of Paris to another.

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Publisher's Summary

In 2009, New York Times best-selling author Eloisa James took a leap that many people dream about: She sold her house, took a sabbatical from her job as a Shakespeare professor, and moved her family to Paris. Paris in Love: A Memoir chronicles her joyful year in one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

With no classes to teach, no committee meetings to attend, no lawn to mow or cars to park, Eloisa revels in the ordinary pleasures of life - discovering corner museums that tourists overlook, chronicling Frenchwomen’s sartorial triumphs, walking from one end of Paris to another. She copes with her Italian husband’s notions of quality time; her two hilarious children, ages eleven and fifteen, as they navigate schools - not to mention puberty - in a foreign language; and her mother-in-law Marina’s raised eyebrow in the kitchen (even as Marina overfeeds Milo, the family dog).

Paris in Love invites the reader into the life of a most enchanting family, framed by la ville de l’amour.

What the Critics Say

“While the children struggled then triumphed in school and with new friends, the dog grew fatter, and Alessandro advised his French conversation partner in affairs of the heart, James discovered a ‘materialist’s playground’ in Paris, finding just that precious objet or museum or nibble, and relaying in her sensible, reflective prose the lessons to take home and dream over.... [An] effervescent diary.” (Publishers Weekly)

"What a beautiful and delightful tasting menu of a book: the kids, the plump little dog, the Italian husband. Reading this memoir was like wandering through a Parisian patisserie in a dream. I absolutely loved it." (Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love)

A collection of vignettes from Eloisa James' sabbatical year in Paris. Delicious recipes, a delightfully precocious daughter, and an adorable prosciutto-addicted overweight chihuahua. Lovely descriptions of the city, the people, and the culture, as well as some moving thoughts on surviving cancer and coping with an aging parent.

Ms. James narrates the audiobook herself and did a great job - she has a very pleasant speaking voice and warm, natural reading style.

What made the experience of listening to Paris in Love the most enjoyable?

James reading her own work was pitch perfect. She has the most wonderful demeanor and her descriptions of food were incredible!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Paris in Love?

Any scene with her mother-in-law's dog.

Which scene was your favorite?

I adored the small snippets from Twitter and social media.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Her return to the U.S. was moving.

Any additional comments?

I loved this book more than I anticipated. I think the use of social media in putting it together was modern and delightful. Her descriptions are rich and wonderful and I felt like I knew all of her characters.

Would you consider the audio edition of Paris in Love to be better than the print version?

Don't know, perhaps yes because I don't have to assume the tone voice.

What did you like best about this story?

The level of detail. There was one little story in particular where the author described the rain down the groves of the grey wall and how they hit the ground in white. I had to pause the story at that point and re-listen. The words were so beautifully descriptive.

What about Eloisa James’s performance did you like?

I liked that it wasn't just a story from Point A to Point B. There wasn't a worked out plot... It' was just a collection of observations that reminds us that life is in the little things.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The part about the rain, see above.

Any additional comments?

I've never read her novels before. The memoir was just beautiful to me. It was life, as it happens.

I can't imagine anyone but this author's immediate family members caring about this drivel. It's not even remotely interesting, and she includes virtually every thought that crosses her mind that she can think to commit to note paper, no matter how minimally of interest to anyone, probably even herself.

Would you ever listen to anything by Eloisa James again?

No, I sincerely doubt it.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

She had a very grating, annoying voice, but worse was the content (or lack thereof). It was as interesting as having someone remember they wanted to pick up their laundry and decide that was worthy of a page or two.

What character would you cut from Paris in Love?

All of them. This isn't art. It's gussied up rambling wrapped in our ideas of Paris. In short, it's wrapped in a box that suggests one thing, but when you open the box it's full of anything and everything she could think of filling it with just in the hopes of a sale.

I thought I would love this book because I am so enchanted with Paris, and I want to do what Ms. James did and spend a year in Paris (sans enfant). I also love travel memoirs, and was sold on reading this book when I read the cover blurb written by Elizabeth Gilbert. However, this was no Eat, Pray, Love. I understand that the author wanted to give a slice of life feeling to the book by just re-printing and/or expounding her Twitter and Facebook entries from the year she lived in Paris, but instead of coming of as charming insights into her year as it happened, it just comes across as disjointed observations. She had good intentions, and there are a few nice spots, but there is not much of a story at all, so it mostly just felt like reading somebody's Twitter feed. She didn't make me want to invest in what happened to her or her family. If you enjoy watching "slide shows" from people's travels, or reading Facebook entries about the daily dramas of a girl who is the daughter of somebody you sat next to in high school, then you will probably enjoy this book. I however, just kept saying in my head to the author, "Only you think that is cute because you are their mother. It's really not that cute."

If you’ve listened to books by Eloisa James before, how does this one compare?

I haven't heard or read any others.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

It seemed like she was trying too hard to be cute. It came out as took sing-songy and annoying after a while.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Yes, the way it is written. This book is written in short snip-its of unrelated topics. It could be a books of tweets! Not very interesting because there is no story here, just a family's daily encounters as they live in Paris.

How could the performance have been better?

The author narrates the book and she does so with a see-saw rythm and it is a little annoying.

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